Chapter 153 180. Peacock Feather

A king went blind.Doctors don't know how to cure him.In the end, one of them said that the only way to restore his eyesight was peacock feathers. The king had three sons, and he called them, and said, "My sons, do you love me?" "It's like loving our own life," the sons said. "Then you must find me a peacock feather, so that I can see again. Whoever can bring it will have my kingdom." The sons set off.Two of them are big and one is small.They would not take the little one at all: but he begged so much that they had to take him.It was dark when they passed a wood.Three people climbed a tree and slept among the branches.The little brother woke up first.It was dawn, and he heard peacocks singing in the forest.So he got down from the tree and followed the sound.He found a spring and stooped to drink it.When he got up, he saw a feather falling from the sky.Looking up, he saw peacocks flying in the air.

The two elder brothers found out that the younger brother had found Peacock Feather, and they were full of jealousy towards him, because he would inherit the throne.So one of them seized him without thinking, the other killed him, and together they buried him and took the feather. The two went back to see their father and gave him peacock feathers.The king brushed the peacock's feather over his eyes, and he saw light again.As soon as he recovered, he asked, "Where's your little brother?" "Oh, Dad, you don't know. An animal passed by while we were sleeping in the woods. The animal must have caught him, because we never saw him again."

At the same time, at the place where the younger son was buried, a beautiful reed bamboo grew out of the ground.A shepherd passed by, saw the reed, and said to himself, "Look at what a beautiful reed! I'm going to cut it to make a clarinet." So he did, and when he began to play When playing the flute, the flute sang: "O Shepherd, you took me in your hand, Blow gently because my heart aches. They killed me for peacock feathers, The traitor is my brother. " When the shepherd heard this song, he said to himself, "Now that I have this flute, I can no longer herd the sheep. I am going to travel around the world and play the flute for a living." So he left the flock, to Naples.The shepherd played the flute, and the king appeared at the window and listened to the flute.He said, "Oh, what music! Let that shepherd come up."

The shepherds entered the palace and played the clarinet in the king's chamber.The king said to him, "Let me play too." The shepherd handed him the flute, and the king played it, and the flute sang: "O father, you took me in your hand, Blow gently because my heart aches. They killed me for peacock feathers, The traitor is my brother. " "Oh," said the king to the queen, "do you hear what the flute sings? Take it, and play it too." The queen began to play the flute, and the flute sang, "O mother, take me in your hand... "The queen was also very surprised, so she asked her second son to play too.At first he just shrugged and said it was all nonsense, but at last he had to play the flute, and no sooner had he played than the flute sang:

"Oh brother, you caught me... The second son stopped playing, because he was already shaking like a leaf, and they passed the clarinet to the eldest again, saying, "You play, you play!" But the boss didn't want to play, he said: "You are all crazy because of this flute." "I command you to blow!" cried the King. The boss was as pale as a dead man, and he blew: "Oh brother, you killed me, Blow gently because my heart aches. You killed me for peacock feathers, You are the one who betrayed me. " When the father heard these words, he fell down in agony, and cried, "O wicked sons, you have killed my little ones for the feathers!"

Two brothers were burned in the square.Shepherds were appointed captains of the army.And the king, shutting himself in his room, played the flute sadly for the rest of his life. (Province of Caltani Saida)